Self cleaning gutter shield

ABSTRACT

An elongated strip of extruded plastics material includes a vertical rear plane adapted to seat on the rear portion of a gutter-hanging bracket. The rear vertical plane integrally connects to a second forward extending plane that joins, by means of an underlying u-shaped channel, a v-shaped perforated third plane that forces water to pool and drop through the perforations. The third plane joins, by means of an underlying u-shaped channel, a flange that projects outwardly for retaining the strip to a gutter. A filter configuration comprised of a debris repelling membrane, overlying a skeletal structure of ellipsoid rods spaced and resting on vertical planes, serves to break the forward flow of water and to channel water onto and through its integral perforated horizontal plane. The filter configuration is readily inserted into the u-shaped channels existing on the forward and rear edges of the v-shaped perforated third plane.A filter assembly is provided including a filter membrane and a skeletal structure. The filter membrane defines a first surface and a second surface. The skeletal structure is provided beneath the filter membrane and is bounded by longitudinally extending ends. The skeletal structure includes a perforated plane spaced from the first surface of the filter membrane, and a first leg disposed on the perforated plane intermediate the longitudinally extending ends and extending along a length of the skeletal structure above the perforated plane. The first leg extends toward and contacts the first surface of the filter membrane, whereby when the filter assembly is installed in the open top of a rain gutter, water flowing across the filter membrane in a direction normal to the length of the skeletal structure is redirected downward by the first leg through the perforated plane and into the rain gutter. A gutter shield is provided for mounting in an open top of a rain gutter, the gutter shield including an elongated body adapted to receive the filter assembly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This reissue application is a continuation of U.S. Reissue applicationSer. No. 11/191,173, now U.S. Pat. No. Re 42,896 (E1), which reissueapplication was filed on Jul. 28, 2005, seeking reissue of U.S. Pat. No.6,598,352, which patent issued on Jul. 29, 2003 from U.S. applicationSer. No. 09/922,636, filed on Aug. 7, 2001.

A request for a Certificate of Correction that references thisapplication has been initiated in Reissue Pat. 42,896 pursuant to 37 CFR1.177(a).

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

Gutter covering systems are known to prevent debris from entering intothe open top end of a rain gutter.

When debris accumulates within the body of a rain gutter in an amountgreat enough to cover the opening of a downspout-draining hole thedraining of water from the rain gutter is impeded or completely stopped.This occurrence will cause the water to rise within the rain gutter andspill over it's uppermost front and rear portions. The purpose of a raingutter: to divert water away from the structure and foundation of a homeis thereby circumvented.

2. Prior Art

The invention relates to the field of Gutter Anti-clogging Devices andparticularly relates to screens with affixed fine filter membranes, andto devices that employ recessed wells or channels in which filtermaterial may be inserted, affixed to gutters to prevent debris fromimpeding the desired drainage of water.

Various gutter anti-clogging devices are known in the art and some aredescribed in issued patents.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,557,891 to Albracht teaches a gutter protection systemfor preventing entrance of debris into a rain gutter. Albracht teaches agutter protection system to include a single continuous two sided wellwith angled sides and perforated bottom shelf 9 into which rainwaterwill flow and empty into the rain gutter below. The well is of a depth,which is capable of receiving a filter mesh material. However, attemptsto insert or cover such open channels of “reverse-curve” devices withfilter meshes or cloths is known to prevent rainwater from entering thewater receiving channels. This occurrence exists because of the tendencyof such membranes, (unsupported by a proper skeletal structure), tochannel water, by means of water adhesion along the interconnected pathsexisting in the filter membranes (and in the enclosures they may becontained by or in), past the intended water-receiving channel and tothe ground. This occurrence also exists because of the tendency offilter mediums of any present known design or structure to quicklywaterproof or clog when inserted into such channels creating evengreater channeling of rainwater forward into a spill past an underlyingrain gutter. Filtering of such open, recessed, channels existing inAlbracht's invention as well as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,696, to Knittel,U.S. Pat. No. 2,672,832 to Goetz, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,459,350, & 5,181,350to Meckstroth, U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,998 to Hansen, U.S. Pat. No.4,757,649 to Vahldieck and in similar “reverse-curved” inventions thatrely on “reverse-curved” surfaces channeling water into an open channelhave been known to disallow entrance of rainwater into thewater-receiving channels. Albracht's as well as previous and succeedingsimilar inventions have therefore notably avoided the utilization offilter insertions. What may appear as a logical anticipation by suchinventions at first glance, (inserting of a filter mesh or material intothe channel), has been shown to be undesirable and ineffective across abroad spectrum of filtering materials: Employing insertable filters intosuch inventions has not been found to be a simple matter ofanticipation, or design choice of filter medium by those skilled in thearts. Rather, it has proved to be an ineffective option, with any knownfilter medium, when attempted in the field. Such attempts, in the field,have demonstrated that the filter mediums will eventually require manualcleaning.

German Patent 5,905,961 teaches a gutter protection system forpreventing the entrance of debris into a rain gutter. The German patentteaches a gutter protection system to include a single continuous twosided well 7 with angled sides and perforated bottom shelf whichrainwater will flow and empty into the rain gutter below. The well isrecessed beneath and between two solid lateral same plane shelves closeto the front of the system for water passage near and nearly level withthe front top lip of the gutter. The well is of a depth, which iscapable of receiving a filter mesh material. However, for the reasonsdescribed in the preceding paragraphs, an ability to attach a medium toan invention, not specifically designed to utilize such a medium, maynot result in an effective anticipation by an invention. Rather, theresult may be a diminishing of the invention and its improvements as isthe case in Albracht's U.S. Pat. No. 5,557,891, the German Patent, andsimilar inventions employing recessed wells or channels betweenadjoining planes or curvatures.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,027 to Vail teaches a continuous opening 24A betweenthe two top shelves. Vail teaches a gutter protection system having asingle continuous well 25, the well having a depth allowing insertionand retention of filter mesh material 26 (a top portion of the fillermesh material capable of being fully exposed at the holes). Vail doesteach a gutter protection system designed to incorporate an insertablefilter material into a recessed well. However, Vail notably names andintends the filter medium to be a tangled mesh fiberglass five times thethickness of the invention body. This type of filtration medium, alsoclaimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,686 to Rees, and in prior art currentlymarketed as FLOW-FREE. TM. is known to trap and hold debris withinitself which, by design, most filter mediums are intended to do, i.e.:trap and hold debris. Vail's invention does initially prevent somedebris from entering an underlying rain gutter but gradually becomesineffective at channeling water into a rain gutter due to the propensityof their claimed filter mediums to clog with debris. Though Vail'sinvention embodies an insertable filter, such filter is not readilyaccessible for cleaning when such cleaning is necessitated. The guttercover must be removed and uplifted for cleaning and, the filter mediumis not easily and readily inserted replaced into its longitudinalcontaining channel extending three or more feet. It is often noted, inthe field, that these and similar inventions hold fast pine needles ingreat numbers which presents an unsightly appearance as well as createdebris dams behind the upwardly extended and trapped pine needles. Suchfilter meshes and non-woven lofty fiber mesh materials, even whencomposed of finer micro-porous materials, additionally tend to clog andfill with oak tassels and other smaller organic debris because they arenot resting, by design, on a skeletal structure that encourages greaterwater flow through its overlying filter membrane than exists when suchfilter meshes or membranes contact planar continuously-connectedsurfaces. Known filter mediums of larger openings tend to trap and holddebris. Known filter mediums smaller openings clog or “heal over” withpollen and dirt that becomes embedded and remains in the finermicro-porous filter mediums. At present, there has not been found, as amatter of common knowledge or anticipation, an effectivewater-permeable, non-clogging “medium-of-choice” that can be chosen, inlieu of claimed or illustrated filter mediums in prior art, that is ableto overcome the inherent tendencies of any known filter mediums to clogwhen applied to or inserted within the types of water receiving wellsand channels noted in prior art.

Vail also discloses that filter mesh material 26 is recessed beneath aplanar surface that utilizes perforations in the plane to direct waterto the filter medium beneath. Such perforated planar surfaces asutilized by Vail, by Sweers U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,680, by Morin U.S. Pat.No. 5,842,311 and by similar prior art are known to only be partiallyeffective at channeling water downward through the open apertures ratherthan forward across the body of the invention and to the ground. Thisoccurs because of the principal of water adhesion: rainwater tends toflow around perforations as much as downward through them, and miss therain gutter entirely. Also, in observing perforated planes such asutilized by Vail and similar inventions (where rainwater experiences itsfirst contact with a perforated plane) it is apparent that they presentmuch surface area impervious to downward water flow disallowing suchinventions from receiving much of the rainwater contacting them.

A simple design choice or anticipation of multiplying the perforationscan result in a weakened body subject to deformity when exposed to theweight of snow and/or debris or when, in the case of polymer bodies,exposed to summer temperatures and sunlight.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,686 to Rees teaches an improvement for rain gutterscomprising a filter attachment, which is constructed to fit over theopen end of a gutter. The filter attachment comprised an elongatedscreen to the underside of which is clamped a fibrous material such asfiberglass. Rees teaches in the Background of The Invention that manydevices, such as slotted or perforated metal sheets, or screens of wireor other material, or plastic foam, have been used in prior art to coverthe open tops of gutters to filter out foreign material. He states thatsuccess with such devices has been limited because small debris and pineneedles still may enter through them into a rain gutter and clog itsdownspout opening and or lodge in and clog the devices themselves. Reesteaches that his use of a finer opening tangled fiberglass filtersandwiched between two lateral screens will eliminate such clogging ofthe device by smaller debris. However, in practice it is known that suchdevices as is disclosed by Rees are only partially effective at sheddingdebris while channeling rainwater into an underlying gutter. Shingle oilleaching off of certain roof coverings, pollen, dust, dirt, and otherfine debris are known to “heal over” such devices clogging and/oreffectively “water-proofing” them and necessitate the manual cleaningthey seek to eliminate. (If not because of the larger debris, because ofthe fine debris and pollutants). Additionally, again as with other priorart that seeks to employ filter medium screening of debris; the filtermedium utilized by Rees rests on an inter-connected planar surface whichprovides non-broken continuous paths over and under which water willflow, by means of water adhesion, to the front of a gutter and spill tothe ground rather than drop downward into an underlying rain gutter.Whether filter medium is “sandwiched” between perforated planes orscreens as in Rees' invention, or such filter medium exists belowperforated planes or screens and is contained in a well or channel,water will tend to flow forward along continuous paths through cur aswell as downward into an underlying rain gutter achieving less thandesirable water-channeling into a rain gutter.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,904 to Gentry teaches a first fine screen havingmesh openings affixed to an underlying screen of larger openings. Bothscreens are elastically deformable to permit a user to compress theinvention for insertion into a rain gutter. Gentry, as Rees, recognizesthe inability of prior art to prevent entrance of finer debris into arain gutter, and Gentry, as Rees, relies on a much finer screen meshthan is employed by prior art to achieve prevention of finer debrisentrance into a rain gutter. In both the Gentry and Rees prior art, andtheir improvements over less effective filter mediums of previous priorart, it becomes apparent that anticipation of improved filter medium orconfigurations is not viewed as a matter of simple anticipation of priorart which has, or could, employ filter medium. It becomes apparent thatimproved filtering methods may be viewed as patenable unique inventionsin and of themselves and not necessarily an anticipation or matter ofdesign choice of a better filter medium or method being applied to orsubstituted within prior art that does or could employ filter medium.However, though Rees and Gentry did achieve finer filtration over filtermedium utilized in prior art, their inventions also exhibit a tendencyto channel water past an underlying gutter and/or to heal over withfiner dirt, pollen, and other pollutants and clog thereby requiringmanual cleaning. Additionally, when filter medium is applied to orrested upon planar perforated or screen meshed surfaces, there is anotable tendency for the underlying perforated plane or screen tochannel water past the gutter where it will then spill to the ground. Ithas also been noted that prior art listed herein exhibits a tendency toallow filter cloth mediums to sag into the opening of their underlyingsupporting structures. To compensate for forward channeling of water,prior art embodies open aperatures spaced too distantly, or allows theaperatures themselvs to encompass too large an area, thereby allowingthe sagging of overlying filter membranes and cloths. Such saggingcreates pockets wherein debris tends to settle and enmesh.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,132 to Dugan teaches a porous solid material whichis installed in the gutter to form an upper barrier surface (againstdebris entrance into a rain gutter). Though Dugan anticipates that anydebris gathered on the upper barrier surface will dry and blow away,that is not always the case with this or similar devices. In practice,such devices are known to “heal over” with pollen, oil, and otherpollutants and effectively waterproof or clog the device rendering itineffective in that they prevent both debris and water from entering arain gutter. Pollen may actually cement debris to the top surface ofsuch devices and fail to allow wash-off even after repeated rains. U.S.Pat. No. 4,949,514 to Weller sought to present more water receiving topsurface of a similar solid porous device by undulating the top surfacebut, in fact, effectively created debris “traps” with the peak andvalley undulation. As with other prior art, such devices may workeffectively for a period of time but tend to eventually channel waterpast a rain gutter, due to eventual clogging of the device itself. Thereare several commercial filtering products designed to prevent foreignmatter buildup in gutters. For example the FLOW-FREE .TM gutterprotection system sold by DCI of Clifton Heights, Pa. Comprises a0.75-inch thick nylon mesh material designed to fit within 5-inch K typegutters to seal the gutters and downspout systems from debris and snowbuildup. The FLOW-FREE. TM device fits over the hanging brackets of thegutters and one side extends to the bottom of the gutter to prevent thecollapse into the gutter. However, as in other filtering attempts,shingle material and pine needles can become trapped in the coarse nylonmesh and must be periodically cleaned.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,843 to Tregear teaches a gutter device that has anelongated matting having a plurality of open cones arranged intransverse and longitudinal rows, the base of the cones defining a lowerfirst plane and the apexes of the cones defining an upper second plane.Although the Tregear device overcomes the eventual trapping of largerdebris within a filtering mesh composed of fabric sufficiently smooth toprevent the trapping of debris he notes in prior art, the Tregear devicetends to eventually allow pollen, oil which may leach from asphaltshingles, oak tassels, and finer seeds and debris to coat and heal overa top-most matting screen it employs to disallow larger debris frombecoming entangled in the larger aperatured filtering medium it covers.Tregear indicates that filtered configurations such as a commerciallyavailable attic ventilation system known as Roll Vent.RTM. manufacturedby Benjamin Obdyke, Inc. Warminster, Pa. Is suitable, with modificationsthat accomadate its fitting into a raingutter. However, such a devicehas been noted, even in its original intended application, to requirecleaning (as do most attic screens and filters) to remove dust, dirt,and pollen that combine with moisture to form adhesive coatings that canscum or heal over such attic filters. Filtering mediums (exhibitingtightly woven, knitted, or tangled mesh threads to achieve density or“smoothness”) employed by Tregear and other prior art have been unableto achieve imperviousness to waterproofing and clogging effects causedby a healing or pasting over of such surfaces by pollen, fine dirt,scum, oils, and air and water pollutants. Additionally, referring againto Tregear's device, a lower first plane tends to channel water towardthe front lip of a rain gutter, rather than allowing it's free passagedownward, and allow the feeding and spilling of water up and over thefront lip of a rain gutter by means of water-adhesion channels createdin the lower first plane.

Prior art has employed filter cloths over underlying mesh, screens,cones, longitudinal rods, however such prior art has eventually beenrealized as unable to prevent an eventual clogging of their finerfiltering membranes by pollen, dirt, oak tassels, and finer debris. Suchprior art has been noted to succumb to eventual clogging by the healingover of debris which adheres itself to surfaces when intermingled withorganic oils, oily pollen, and shingle oil that act as an adhesive. Thehoped for cleaning of leaves, pine needles, seed pods and other debrisby water flow or wind, envisioned by Tregear and other prior art, isoften not realized due to their adherence to surfaces by pollen, oils,pollutants, and silica dusts and water mists. The cleaning of adhesiveoils, fine dirt, and particularly of the scum and paste formed by pollenand silica dust (common in many soil types) by flowing water or wind isalmost never realized in prior art.

Prior art that has relied on reverse curved surfaces channeling waterinside a rain gutter due to surface tension, of varied configurationsand pluralities, arranged longitudinally, have been noted to lose theirsurface tension feature as pollen, oil, scum, Eventually adhere to them.Additionally, multi-channeled embodiments of longitudinal reverse curveprior art have been noted to allow their water receiving channels tobecome packed with pine needles, oak tassels, other debris, andeventually clog disallowing the free passage of water into a raingutter. Examples of such prior art are seen in the commercial productGUTTER HELMET.RTM. manufactured by American metal products and sold byMr. Fix It of Richmond, Va. In this and similar Commercial products,dirt and mildew build up on the bull-nose of the curve preventing waterfrom entering the gutter. Also ENGLERT'S LEAFGUARD. RTM. Manufacturedand distributed by Englert Inc. of Perthamboy N.J. and K-GUARD. RTM.Manufactured and distributed by KNUDSON INC. of Colorado are similarlynoted to lose their water-channeling properties due to dirt buildup.These commercial products state such, in literature to homeowners thatadvises them on the proper method of cleaning and maintaining theirproducts.

None of theses above-described systems keep all debris out of a guttersystem allowing water alone to enter, for an extended length of time.Some allow lodging and embedding of pine needles and other debris isable to occur within their open water receiving areas causing them tochannel water past a rain gutter. Others allow such debris to enter andclog a rain gutter's downspout opening. Still others, particularly thoseemploying filter membranes, succumb to a paste and or scum-like healingover and clogging of their filtration membranes over time rendering themunable to channel water into a rain gutter. Pollen and silica dirt,particularly, are noted to cement even larger debris to the filter,screen, mesh, perforated opening, and/or reverse curved surfaces ofprior art, adhering debris to prior art in a manner that was notenvisioned.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide agutter shield that permits drainage of water runoff into the guttertrench without debris becoming entrenched or embedded within the surfaceof the device itself and that employs a filtration membraneconfiguration that possesses sufficient self-cleaning properties thatprevent the buildup of scum, oil, dirt, pollen, and pollutants thatnecessitate eventual manual cleaning as is almost always the case withprior art.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gutter shieldthat employs a filtration membrane that is readily accessible and easilyreplaceable if such membrane is damaged by nature or accident. Anotherobject of the present invention is to provide a gutter shield thatbetter enhances the cosmetic appearance and blending of and with abuilding's rain gutter system than is offered by prior art.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gutter shieldthat will accept more water run-off into a five inch K-style rain gutterthan such a gutter's downspout opening is able to drain before allowingthe rain gutter to overflow (in instances where a single three-inch byfive-inch downspout is installed to service 600 square feet of roofingsurface).

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

SUMMARY

It has now been discovered that the above and other objects of thepresent inventioin may be accomplished in the following manner.Specifically, the present invention provides a gutter shield for usewith gutters having an elongated opening. Normally the gutters areattached to or suspended from a building.

The gutter shield device comprises an extruded polymer uni-body of anangled first plane that rests on the front lip of a rain gutter and thatadjoins a second downwardly angled perforated plane by means of au-shaped channel that exists on the underside of the rear edge of saidfirst plane.

A second plane then joins to an upward vertical support leg that joinsto a third perforated plane that angles downward (referenced to the rearwall of an underlying rain gutter) and inward toward the vertical leg.

Second and third perforated planes thereby exibit an extended v-shapedconfiguration that directs water to the inward center of a rain gutterwhere it is then dammed by a vertical support leg that forces the waterto pool upward and drop through perforations rather than channel pastthem.

A fourth upwardly angled plane positioned above an behind the v-shapedconfiguration of planes two and three, joins to plane three by means ofa u-shaped channel and vertical leg, joined to and beneath the forwardedge of the u-shaped channel, that exists underside the forward(referenced to the front lip of a rain gutter) edge of plane four.

The fourth plane has embedded in the center of its upper surface, arecessed channel to facilitate scoring and braking of the fourth plane.

The fourth plane then joins to a rear vertical leg by means of a rearu-shaped channel.

A filtration configuration is inserted in the extruded body of thegutter sheild device.

The upper membrane of the filter configuration is comprised of smallerthreads intersecting or adjoing larger ones at centermost points on thesides of the larger threads. The upper membrane thereby avoidspresenting overlapping or underlapping thread joints that tend to trapand hold debris, while presenting a very water permeable surface thatmore readily lends itself to self-cleaning by way of flowing water.

The upper membrane is sewn to the edges of an underlying skeletalstructure that exhibits a strong siphoning action.

The lower supporting skeletal structure beneath the upper membrane iscomprised of ellipses spaced approximately 0.19 inch from end to endthat have underlying vertical legs that join, at their lowest point, toa horizontal perforated surface that has underlying vertical extendinglegs. This combination of multiple elliptical surfaces so spaced, and ofvertical planes above and beneath a perforated horizontal plane,exhibits strong tendencies to break forward water channeling, that oftencauses water to spill past a rain gutter, and redirect water downwardand inward into an underlying rain gutter.

The gutter sheild body may be inserted into and secured in a rain gutterby common methods now recognized as public domain. The filtrationconfiguration is pinched on each lateral edge and then the edges arerealeased into u-shaped edge receiving channels. The filtrationconfiguration is supported in its center by an upward extending verticalleg that adjoins perforated planes two and three at their lowest edges.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

An object of the present invention is to provide a gutter shield devicethat employs a fine filtration combination that is not subject togumming or healing over by pollen, silica dust, oils, and other veryfine debris.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gutter shieldbody that can quickly and easily, in the field at the time ofinstallation, be retrofitted with the current gutter coil employed inextruding the raingutters the present invention would be installed in.Another object of the present invention is to provide a filtrationmembrane that is not affixed to an underlying surface by adhesive meansthat tend to gum and trap debris in hot weather.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a filtrationconfiguration that does not allow its filter cloth or membrane to sagand develop debris catching pockets. Another object of the presentinvention is to provide a gutter shield device that disallows theentrance of debris into a raingutter in the event its removable filterrequires replacement due to storm damage.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a filtrationconfiguration and encompassing body that eliminates any forwardchanneling of rain water. Another object of the present invention is toprovide a filtration configuration that may more readily be inseted intoor removed, if required, than has been realized in prior art.

THE DRAWINGSBRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1. is a partial or fragmentary sectional edge view of the presentinvention displaying the profile of the main body of the gutter cover asit would appear extruding from a die.

FIG. 2. is a partial or fragmentary top perspective view of the mainbody of the present invention.

FIG. 3. is a partial or fragmentary sectional edge view of a componentof the present invention displaying the profile of a supporting skeletalfiltration structure that is an insertable component employed by thepresent invention.

FIG. 4. is a partial or fragmentary top perspective view of thesupporting skeletal filtration component employed by the presentinvention.

FIG. 5. is an enlarged isolated view of a filter medium which affixes tothe supporting filtration skeleton component employed by the presentinvention.

FIG. 6. is a partial or fragmentary top perspective view of thecompleted filtering component of the present invention as it appearsprior to insertion into a receiving channel of the main body of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7. is a partial or fragmentary sectional edge view of the presentinvention displaying the profiles of it's main body with filtrationskeleton inserted.

FIG. 8. is a partial or fragmentary top perspective view of thepreferred embodiment of the present invention displaying the main bodyof the gutter cover with inserted filtration skeleton and affixed (tothe skeleton) filter medium;

FIG. 9. is a partial or fragmentary sectional view displaying theprofiles of a roofline portion of a building structure, and shows an endview of a sectioned K-style gutter and a side or end view of anoverlying and attached gutter cover section.

FIG. 9a. is a partial or fragmentary sectional view displaying theprofiles of a roofline portion of a building structure, K-style gutter,attached gutter cover, and optional rear insertable filter medium.

FIG. 10. is a partial or fragmentary sectional view displaying theprofiles of a roofline portion of a building structure, K-style gutter,attached gutter cover, and optional securing ledge.

FIG. 11. is a partial or fragmentary sectional view displaying theprofiles of a roofline portion of a building structure, K-style gutter,attached gutter cover, and optional rear extension component.

FIG. 11a. is a partial or fragmentary top perspective view of anoptional rear extension component of the present invention.

FIG. 12. is a partial or fragmentary top perspective view of the mainbody of the present invention and of an optional covering sleevecomponent.

FIG. 12a. is a partial or fragmentary top perspective view of the mainbody of the present invention and of an optional covering sleevecomponent slid onto the top shelf of the main body of the presentinvention.

FIG. 13. displays top perspective views of the main body of the presentinvention illustrating an optional width-adjustable element or featureof the gutter cover.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now specifically to the drawings, a gutter cover (protector)body 1 with an insertable “multi-level filter” 32 according to thepresent invention is illustrated in FIG. 8. The gutter protectormaterial is to be a polymer that is reduced to liquid form through screwcompression of plastic “tags” or reduced to liquid form through othermeans. This liquid plastic mixture will then be extruded through asingle block die embodying a profile of the body of the invention. Theextruded material is rigid or semi-flexible PVC or Polypropylene orother heat, chemical, and UV resistant polymer. The preferred thicknessof the extruded polymer material forming the gutter protector cover willrange from 0.05 to 0.07 inches. The extruded material is suitably thickto maintain its shape and not deform or dip under load bearing weight ofsnow and ice or deform when exposed to high ambient temperatures whichhave caused prior art of lesser polymer thickness to deform verticallyupwards and downwards allowing open-air gaps to form from one piece ofprior art to the next when they rest abutted side by side. These gapsmay allow debris entrance into a rain gutter. The PVC, Polypropylene, orother polymer will contain sufficient titanium oxide, carbon black, orother UV inhibitors to resist breakdown of structural integrity for aperiod of at least 10 years when exposed to normal cycles of “FloridaSun” (sunlight equivalent to that experienced over a 10 year period ofoutdoor exposure to weathering conditions in the state of Florida). Thegutter protector body may be extruded in any length but it is preferredthat the extruded body be cut into 4 to five foot lengths, at the pointof manufacture, while exiting a plastics extrusion cooling tray. Suchlengths may be installed by one individual while allowing for as fewjoints or seams as possible to exist when the present invention isinstalled over the length of a gutter. The extruded body is 5.4 incheswide.

Referring to FIG. 10 it is illustrated that the extruded body will restinside the topmost opening of a conventional K-style 5 or 6 inch raingutter 33 supported by spikes or “hidden hangars” 28 upon which the rearhorizontal leg of the body 20 rests and supported by the front lip ofthe K-style rain gutter upon which the front “lip” 9 of the extrudedbody rests, such front lip 9 having an approximate length of 0.757 in.

FIG. 10 further illustrates the body may also be supported in the rearby affixing a flexible semi-concaved metal or plastic extrusion 27 (0.07inches thickness or less) into the fascia board of a building structureand allowing it to extend outward away from the fascia board sufficientlength to enable semi-concaved extrusion 27 to insert into the rearChannel 22 of the body to support the body at the rear. This may bedesirable to ensure high winds may not uplift the extruded gutter coverout of the rain gutter as does occur with prior art. This may alsoensure a level plane is created from one five length of the extrudedbody to the next at the rear in instances where reliance on gutterspikes for support of the rear portion of the extruded body may beinadvisable in instances where the gutter spikes may be driven at unevenheights through the rear of a rain gutter into a fascia boarddisallowing the extruded gutter cover 1 from maintaining a levelhorizontal plane between adjoining (abutted) pieces. A level plane fromone gutter cover 1 to the next when installed inside a rain gutter isimportant to disallow vertical gaps from occurring between pieces asthey may in prior art which may provide an entrance for debris into arain gutter.

The profile of the body of the gutter protector illustrated in FIG. 1shows the extruded body includes a rear horizontal leg 20 approximately0.4 inches in length which may serve to rest on a gutter spike or hiddengutter hangar for a length of at least 0.4 inches at point of contactwhich serves to distribute any weight upon the gutter cover body over agreater surface area of a supporting spike or hanger than a simpleextension of rear leg 19, whose approximate length is 0.6 in., wouldprovide in the absence of rear horizontal leg 20.

FIG. 2 reference numeral 20 illustrates that a rear horizontal leg ofthe extruded body 1 is integral to the body and extends the entirelength of the body and is perforated to allow rear drainage surface areain the event wind blown rain or melting ice flows rearward rather thanforward into filtration membrane configuration 32.

FIG. 9 illustrates that rear horizontal leg 20 also may serve as alocking mechanism due to its positioning beneath hex-head or other screwfasteners 30 used to secure a hidden hangar and rear of a rain gutter toa fascia board in such instances when hidden hangars are the chosenmethod of fastening. It can be seen in FIG. 9a that rear horizontal leg20 may also serve as a platform on which a mesh or other type filter 31approximately ¾ to 1½ inch wide and one inch tall may rest to provide arear barrier to debris that may possible be wind blown to the rear ofthe gutter protector body.

Referring, again, to FIG. 1 it can be seen that the extruded guttercover body includes a rear support leg 19 that serves to provide rearvertical support for the gutter cover body and which includes “scorelines” 21 which an installer may score with a utility knife or otherscoring device if necessary. Such scoring will prevent running cracks upthe rear support leg 19 from occurring if the rear support leg shouldever need to be notched out to fit over a gutter spike that may bepositioned too high through or above the rear of a rain gutter. Inpractice, in the field, improper positioning of the gutter spike occursinfrequently and may cause the gutter cover body to rest unevenly atvarying heights inside the rain gutter necessitating that the rearsupport leg 19 and rear horizontal leg 20 be notched out to allow therear of the gutter cover body to rest in a lower position inside therain gutter to maintain an attractive low profile and smooth even-planetransition from section to section of the body of the present invention.

Referring again to FIG. 1, rear support leg 19 of the extruded bodyextends vertically upwards at an approximate 85-degree angle and anapproximate 0.6-inch length. Support leg 19 then bends forward atapproximately a 75 degree to 95-degree angle to form a shelf 23approximately 0.2 inches in length. Shelf 23 extends upwardapproximately 90 degrees forming vertical leg 18 with an approximatelength of 0.21 inches. Vertical leg 18 then angles forward approximately90 degrees into a higher shelf 17 whose approximate length is 0.3inches.

Referring now to FIG. 10 it is seen that bottom shelf 23, vertical leg18, and higher shelf 17 of the extruded body form a recessed “receiving”channel 22 approximately 0.2 inches in depth and 0.07 inches wide whichmay serve to receive plastic or metal inserts or fasteners 27 that maybe used to create a rear to forward tension mount of the extruded body.

Referring now to FIGS. 12 and 12a, it is illustrated that channel 22 mayadditionally may serve to act as a the first of two receiving channelsof the extruded body 1, the second receiving channel being channel 23 24that may receive and hold fast and permanently an aluminum, zinc, orcopper metal cover 35 that may be clipped onto the extruded body 1.

This clipped on cover 35 may serve to join two extruded body piecestogether by spanning and covering the joint formed at their side-by-sideabutment when such pieces are installed in a rain gutter. This clippedon cover 35 may further serve to provide fungicidal properties when madeof zinc that would discourage moss mold or mildew growth on theinvention, which is an improvement, not found in prior art. The clippedon cover 35 may further serve to allow color and material matching ofthe plastic extruded body to aluminum, copper, and other metal raingutters which is an advantage and property not found or suggested inprior art. The co-use of two such materials, polymer and metal, in aleaf guard on copper or other expensive metal rain gutters would providea great economical alternative to the use of solid copper leaf guardswhich naturally employ thicker and thereby more expensive copper intheir design. The dimensions of such an extruded 0.019 or thinner metalcover would be such that it's underside 36 would be approximately 5percent to 15 percent greater than the exterior portion of the extrudedplastic body of the invention it covers. Such extruded metal cover mayalso serve to act as an extension for the plastic extruded body itcovers to allow for a fit rain gutters larger than standard 5″ K stylegutters by widening the clip on metal shelf 35 to accommodate 6 inch orwider rain gutters.

Referring again to FIG. 1, shelf 17 extends horizontally 0.3 in. andthen upward into a curve 2a such curve having an exterior radius ofapproximately 0.137 and an interior radius of approximately 0.073 inch.The reverse of curve 2a of the extruded body extends forward in asomewhat horizontal plane 2 angled downward approximately 5 degrees fora distance of approximately 1.5 to 1.75 inches. Horizontal plane 2embodies a small recessed channel 59 across its entire length ofsufficient depth to allow for scoring and breaking of the horizontalplane.

FIG. 13 illustrates such scoring and breaking of recessed channel 59 maybe optionally employed by the installer in instances where ahorizontally compressed rain gutter does not allow for easy installationof the invention: the severed rear portion 36 of the extruded body 36 1may then be placed over the front severed portion 37 of the extrudedbody 37 1 as illustrated in FIG. 13 and affixed by polymer cement orfasteners such as plastic bolt 38 and plastic nut 39 creating suchoverlap distance of the rear severed portion 36 of the extruded body 1over the front severed extrusion portion 37 of the severed extruded body1 as the installer deems necessary to create an ideal adjusted extrudedbody width for placement in a horizontally compressed portion of a raingutter.

Referring again to FIG. 1, Horizontal plane 2, after extending adistance of approximately 1.5 inches, will then “fork” into twoextensions: one extension; 3, continues to extend outward angleddownward from the 1.5 inch point an additional 5 to 10 degrees to form atop shelf approximately 0.28 inch in length. The other extension 4 ofHorizontal plane 2 extends downward at an approximate 85 degree anglefor a distance of 0.125 inches and then angles forward 90 degrees into aplane 16 approximately 0.28 inches in length. Extension 3, extension 4and plane 16 form a recessed “receiving” channel 24 with a depth ofapproximately 0.28 inch and a width 55 of approximately 0.125 inch whichserves to secure the edge of the multi level filter portion filtrationconfiguration 32 of the invention and to receive, if opted for, thecurved edge of a metal cover 35 which may be clipped onto Curve 2a,Horizontal plane 2, and extension 3 as illustrated in FIG. 12a.

Referring again to FIG. 1; Plane 16 of the extruded body continues andthen angles sharply downward at an approximate 80 to 85 degree angle fora distance of approximately 0.4 inches to form plane 5. Plane 5 extendsdownward and then angles forward at an approximate 22-degreeangle-forming plane 15. Plane 15 has an approximate length of 0.94 inchand is perforated as illustrated in FIG. 2 with perforations 0approximately 0.065 inch wide, 0.125 long. Perforations 0 are alignedend-to-end and spaced approximately ¼ inch apart in rows, which extendthe length of the extruded body, such rows being spaced approximately0.145 inch apart.

Referring again to FIG. 1, Plane 15 forks into an extension and acontinuance: the extension of plane 15 is plane 6 which extends upwardsas an extension of plane 15 at an approximate 90 degree angle. Plane 6will act as a support for the insertable filter portion of the inventionand presents an improvement not found in prior art in that it will actas a dam that forces water to back up and drip through the rear mostrows of perforations of plane 15 rather than continue forward withenough speed and depth of water flow to spill over the front lip of therain gutter 33. Such occurrence of water spill is common in prior art,which relies solely on water adhesion principals. Planes 5, 15, and 6 ofthe extruded body 1 form a water receiving well with a perforated bottomshelf 15 that will direct water into a rain gutter 33 when acting inconjunction with the water dam formed by plane 6 as described in thepreceding sentence. Referring again to FIG. 1, Plane 15, in addition toforking upwards into plane 6 also continues on at an approximate 22degree upward angle beginning at the base of Plane 6 and extends into aperforated plane 13 approximately 0.95 inch long. This angling upward ofplane 13 toward the front lip of the gutter 33 presents an improvementnot found in prior art in that water which contacts plane 13 will notcontinue on a forward flow toward the top front lip of a rain gutter 33due to water adhesion principals where it may then spill outside therain gutter 33. Instead, the water that contacts plane 13 will followthe downward angling plane 13 and be more surely and intentionallydirected into a rain gutter 33. The perforations 0 of plane 13 areidentical to those of plane 15: 0.065 inch wide, 0.125 long, eachperforation spaced end to end approximately 0.25 inches aligned in rowsthe length of the extruded body 1 such rows being spaced approximately0.145 inch apart. Plane 13 extends forward approximate 0.95 in and thenangles downward approximately 16 degrees into plane 12. Plane 12 extendsforward approximately 0.33 inch at which point it forks into anextension and a continuance: the extension, plane 7, forks upward at anapproximate 80 degree angle for a distance of approximately 0.14 inch atwhich point plane 7 terminates in a “T” configuration. The “T”configuration has a rearward (toward the rear of the extruded body)horizontally extending section, plane 8, having a length ofapproximately 0.25 inch. Receiving channel 24a 25 is formed by planes12, 7, and 8 and such channel has an approximate width 56 of 0.125 inch.This channel acts to receive and secure the forward edge 54 52 ofsupporting skeletal filter component 57 43 as illustrated in FIG. 8. Theforward extension of the “T” is an extending plane, 9, that anglesapproximately 7 degrees downward for a distance of approximately 0.757inch where it then angles downward 45 degrees into plane 10, whichmeasures approximately 0.45 inch in length. The continuance of plane 12is for a distance of approximately 0.24 inches after its vertical fork;, plane 7 giving plane 12 a total length of 0.57 inch.

Referring again to FIG. 1 it may be seen that planes 6,13,12,7, and 8form a receiving well of the extruded body which will direct rain waterthrough its perforations 0 into a rain gutter 33. FIG. 1, planes 12,7,and 8 further illustrate a recessed receiving channel 24 25 that mayreceive and secure both an inserted edge of the multi filter filtrationconfiguration 32 employed by the invention as is illustrated in FIG. 7and FIG. 8.

FIG. 12a illustrates that a “clip on” metal cover 40 may be insertedover planes 8, 9, and 10 to achieve an optional aesthetic matching ofcolored aluminum or copper between the present invention and theunderlying gutter it protects and/or to achieve the improvementspreviously described in the last sentence of page 4 and the fistsentence of page 5 of this disclosure.

FIG. 11 illustrates Channel 22 may serve as a receiving channel forpolymer, metal, or other semi-flexible formed or extruded inserts withprofiles similar to extension 41 which may be placed or affixed withadhesives into Channel 22 and may then serve as an extension of theextruded body 1 which extends rearward and compresses against the rearwall of a rain gutter, hidden hangar, or fascia board to create a rearto forward tension mount of the extruded body into the rain gutter atthe discretion of the installer. The amount of mounting tension createdmay be varied by the length of the top shelf 42 of the extruded orformed extension 41.

Referring now to FIG. 3 there is illustrated the profile of a perforatedfilter skeleton 43. The width of filter skeleton 43 is approximately 2.5inches and is an extruded polymer of approximately 0.04 to 0.06 inches.Plane 44 is approximately 0.58 inch and contains perforations 0, suchperforations being of elliptical shape approximately 0.45 inches longand 0.22 inch wide. The perforations 0 are positioned as close tovertical leg 45 as possible and have a wider top opening than bottomcreating a taper which more readily captures and directs rain water thana simple straight through punch. Horizontal plane 44 t-junctions intovertical leg 45 whose approximate length is 0.35 inch. Leg 45 has acurved bottom 46, such curved surface facilitating the dropping of wateroff of leg 45 downward into the rain gutter. Leg 45 is capped by ellipse47. Ellipse 47 has dimensions of approximately 0.13 inch width and 0.08inch height.

The elliptical curved surfaces 47 resting on vertical legs 45, createwater-channeling paths that exhibit siphoning effects stronger than hasbeen realized in prior art. These “t” configurations, as well as theirapproximate spacing of 0.19 inch from subsequent ellipses and legs,create act as an ideal support for warp-knitted filter membrane 50(shown in FIG. 5 in an exploded view): Such “t” configurations, andtheir spacing, enhance the self-cleaning properties inherent in filtermembrane 50. Additionally, they present a breaking of any waterchanneling paths to the front of a rain gutter lip noted in prior art.

FIG. 6 illustrates that filter membrane 50 will be affixed to filterskeleton 43. The downward curves and spacing of the ellipses 47 offer animprovement over prior art in creating multiple curved surface waterchannels that direct toward a vertical leg resting on a horizontalperforated plane that employs downward extending legs to continue theflow of water downward rather than forward. This configuration createsstronger siphoning action than is created in prior art relying onelliptical ocean-wave shapes to channel water or downward extrusionspositioned beneath perforations or screens. The channeling of wateralmost fully around an ellipse that is broken by a vertical downwardextending leg better captures water and directs it downward preventingback-flow of received water against incoming water noted in prior art.Vertical legs 45 downward extensions beneath planes 44 and 48 ensure thewater adhesion of flowing rain water is broken at the most opportunemoment to ensure the directed flow of water into a rain gutter.Perforated planes 48 are approximately 0.25 inches in width. Viewingfrom right to left, the extruded filter skeleton continues from thefirst vertical leg 45 whose length is approximately 0.35 inch into anupward extension where it terminates into an ellipse 47. Vertical leg 45is intersected approximately 0.2 inch down by forward extendingperforated horizontal plane 48. Planes 48 are approximately 0.25 inchesin length.

Perforated plane 48 continues forward until it intersects the secondvertical leg 45 approximately 0.2 inch below ellipse 47. Vertical leg 45extends approximately 0.22 inch downward from perforated plane 48 inorder to break any surface tension of water adhering to perforated plane48 and redirect it downward into a rain gutter. A second perforatedplane 48 extends forward horizontally from a second vertical leg 45until it intersects a third vertical leg 45. Third vertical leg 45 iscapped by an ellipse 47 as are all vertical legs of filter skeleton 43.A third perforated plane 48 extends forward horizontally from thirdvertical leg 45 until it intersects a vertical leg 51 whose length fromellipse 47 to it's lower most surface 46 is approximately 0.45 inch. Afourth perforated plane 48 extends forward horizontally from verticalleg 51 for a distance of approximately 0.25 inch where it then rightangles upward into a vertical leg 54 whose approximate length is 0.2inch. Vertical leg 54 extends upward into an ellipse 47. Directlybeneath the ellipse which caps vertical leg 54, a horizontal perforatedplane 55 52 extends forward for a distance of approximately 0.45 inch.Planes 44 and 52 each have the endmost section of their lengthnon-perforated to allow space for a sewing seam. filter Filter membrane50 will be sewn onto filter skeleton 43 at these endmost sections ofplanes 44 and 52.

Referring to FIG. 3 and viewing supporting skeletal component 57 43 leftto right: each combination left to right of ellipse 47, vertical leg 54,perforated plane 48, vertical leg 51, ellipse 47 and of ellipse 47,vertical leg 51, perforated plane 48, vertical leg 45, ellipse 47; andof ellipse 47, vertical leg 45, perforated plane 48, vertical leg 45,ellipse 47, creates water receiving wells whose components (by means oftheir structural configuration and spacing) act to slow the flow ofrainwater as well as capture and direct rain water downward into a raingutter 33 in an improved manner over prior art. It can be seen in FIGS.3 and 4, that planes 44 and 52 are positioned on higher planes thanplanes 48. This is done to allow the top of the elliptical planes 47 toremain on a level or slightly recessed plane with planes 3 and 8 of theextruded body as illustrated in FIG. 11. This will disallow a dammingeffect that could lead to debris build up behind the insertable filterand encourage debris to fall or be wind blown off of the invention.

It can also be seen in FIG. 11 that, viewing from right to left, thethird vertical leg 45 abuts the upward extending leg 6 of the extrudedbody. This feature discourages the product from shifting. Referringagain to FIG. 3 it can be seen that, viewing from right to left, theforth leg 51 is of greater length than the preceding downward extendinglegs 45. The length of leg 51 is approximately 0.48 inch. Thisillustrates that the length of legs may vary to prevent forward flow ofwater to the front of the gutter by decreasing water tension paths alongthe bottom of the filter membrane. The ellipses, too, may exist atdifferent planes which would further facilitate the capturing ofrainwater and the direction of it downward into the rain gutter.

Referring again to FIG. 3 it is seen that vertical leg 54 does notextend beneath perforated plane 48. The reason for this is illustratedin FIG. 7 where it is seen that extending vertical leg 54 beneath theplane 48 would cause the filter skeleton to rise above a level orslightly recessed plane than exists between 3 and 8 of the extrudedbody. An extension of vertical leg 54 beneath perforated plane 48 wouldcause it to contact plane 13 and push the filter skeleton upwards. Thevertical height of vertical leg 54 is approximately 0.17 inches from itsbottom most surface up to the point it contacts ellipse 47.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of filter membrane 50, the type of filtrationfabric illustrated affixed to filter skeleton 43 as illustrated in FIG.6. It can be seen in FIG. 5 that small cylindrical threads of polymerextrusion 55 are made to pass through larger threads 56. This uniquemethod of fabric formation offers an improvement over prior art in thatthis configuration of smaller curved surfaces passing through, ratherthan woven or knitted above and beneath larger threads, increases thefabric's ability to capture and direct water. This method of fabricformation offers another improvement over prior art in that itencourages dirt and debris to be less likely to be retained by thefabric and therefore less likely to clog the filtration cloth than otherfilters employed in prior art: woven, weaved, knitted, non-woven lofty,are able to accomplish. The largest distance between any two largerthreads is to be less than 8/100 of an inch, which prevents the smallestof debris from lodging within an open (space between threads. Thepreferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated in FIG. 9 and FIG.12a.: An extruded polymer body with extruded multi level filter thatemploys water receiving channels framed by curved ellipses resting onvertical supporting, lower extending legs covered by a filtration clothas illustrated in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 with a slide on or clip on metalcovers as illustrated in FIG. 12a.

Operation of the Main Embodiment

Referring to FIG. 9, there is illustrated the present invention: agutter protection system that consists of a main body 1 and aninsertable filter skeleton 43 covered with a filter membrane 50. FilterMembrane 50 is composed of intersecting threads. (An exploded view ofthe interconnecting structure of the threads is illustrated in FIG. 5).

Referring to FIG. 10 The present invention is illustrated as insertedinto the top water receiving opening of a k-style rain gutter 33 andresting on a gutter hangar 28. It is illustrated that the presentinvention rests wholly beneath the sub roof 60 and roofing membrane 61of a building structure.

Referring to FIG. 12, it is illustrated that the present invention willbe affixed to an existing rain gutter in two stages. First, a main body1 will be placed inside the open top of a rain gutter and then may besecured in place by several means: Rear horizontal leg 20 will rest upona hidden hangar 28 and prevent body 1 from displacing by locking beneaththe head of fastening screw 30. The front of the present invention issnapped into place and secured to the front lip of the k-style gutter byplanes 9,7, & 11 of the body.

Sub-heading 1

Covering of Joints, Aligning of Adjoining Sections, and Color Matching

Once this is accomplished, main body 1 offers improvement over prior artin offering a method of aligning adjoining sections of the invention ina manner that allows joints between adjoining body members to becovered. This covering of joints and joining of abutted sections of theinvention is accomplished by means of a roll-formed or “braked” sleeve(see FIGS. 12 and 12a, sleeve 35). The resulting absence ofdebris-allowing joints is not realized in prior art intended to retrofitexisting rain gutters.

Referring FIG. 1, there is illustrated a recessed channel 22. Recessedchannel 22 acts as the first of two receiving wells 22 & 24 for aroll-formed or job-site “braked” metallic cover 35 which may be clippedonto the top shelf 2 of the present invention (see FIGS. 12 & 12a). Thisfeature offers improvement over prior art in that no prior art offersthe ability to specifically color match to it's underlying rain gutterat the time of installation. The present invention allows the installerto quickly break matching gutter coil to clip into and cover top shelf 2and top shelf 9 as is illustrated in FIG. 12a. Metallic sleeves 35 & 40may also serve to further align each sectioned body of the presentinvention and maintain consistent edges and heights between adjoiningbodies. This is an optimal method of ensuring consistency of height andedge alignment between adjacent sections not known in prior art.

Sub-heading 2

Vertical Height and Horizontal Width Adjustments

Another improvement achieved by the present invention, not known inprior art, is its ability to provide a means of extending body width toaccommodate standard sized commercial sized gutters with 4, 5, 6, and 7inch widths. Widening may be accomplished by breaking or rollforming themetal cover 35 (FIG. 12a) to a width wide enough to effectively extendthe present invention's body rearward.

Sub-heading 2a

Vertical Adjustments

In the event body 1 is installed in a rain gutter affixed to a fasciaboard by gutter spikes, the present invention offers an improvement notfound in prior art by offering a quick, at-the-point-of-installation,method of adjusting the height of the body to ensure it remainsconsistent. The body 1 of the present invention offers improvement overprior art by allowing for adjustment of it's rear vertical leg 19 byscoring and breaking of the rear leg at points 21. It is known gutterspikes, often employed to secure a rain gutter to a fascia board, aredriven in and remain at uneven heights at the rear of the rain gutter.Prior art, which requires a supporting of a rear leg or rearward part ofinvention body, has not foreseen or allowed for simple heightadjustments to be made, which would accommodate prior art bodies tosupporting, gutter spikes. Such adjustments may be necessary to maintaina consistent level height of gutter protection units for cosmetic aswell as functional reasons.

The improvement accomplished by the present invention is that suchheight adjustment may be accomplished quickly at the point ofinstallation with a simple blade (to score point 21) and pair of scissorsnips to clip the rear leg structure from rear horizontal leg 20 upthrough rear vertical leg 19 to the scored recess 21. The scored markensures that the portion of rear vertical leg 19 so scored and cut willbreak off easily. Prior art does not allow for such simple controlledheight adjustment at the point of installation (possibly while theinstaller is on an extension ladder).

Sub-heading 2b

Width Adjustments

The body 1 of the present invention offers another improvement overprior art designed to be inserted into the top of a rain gutter, ratherthan rest upon the top surface of a subroof or roofing membrane, such asU.S. Pat. No. 6,134,843 to Tregear, U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,825 to Leroney,etc,. by allowing for adjustment of the main body by means of apre-scored recessed channel 59 (FIGS. 2 & 13). Scoring of channel 59allows the clean breaking and refastening of the body 1 to achieve ameans of adjusting the present invention to accommodate both 4 inch and5 inch gutters. FIG. 13 illustrates that the body 1 of the presentinvention may broken, then rejoined in a fashion that creates shorterbody widths to accommodate the varying widths of a single run of gutterlength. It is known that lengths of installed gutter seldom maintain aconsistent width due to irregularities in fascia boards they areattached to. Prior art such as is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,694to Kuhns, U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,965 to Meckstroth, etc., that require aresting of their body on top of or directly beneath shingles or otherroofing materials do not have an intrinsic ability to accommodatevarying gutter widths. This leads to such prior art presenting an unevenappearance along their rear edges which varies with the uneven width ofa gutter they are attached to. This unevenness of edges at the rear ofsuch products, as well as the dipping of subroof structures that oftenoccur beneath the shingles such prior art may rest upon or be affixedto, allows open air spaces to exist at the rear of such products or fromside-edge to side-edge of adjoining pieces. Debris may then enterthrough into a rain gutter or become trapped in the open air spaces.Because this problem is known, installers of prior art are known toscrew the rear of such products into their underlying supporting roofstructure, which can present the potential for roof leaks and thevoiding of roofing manufacture warranties.

Prior art has offered limited adjustment of width, usually by relying onbody tension to extend width, as illustrated in such prior art as U.S.Pat. No. 5,619,825 to Leroney, but such extension of body width found inprior art is meant only accommodate one gutter width i.e.: 5 inch or 6inch and does not allow for utilization of prior art over a span ofvarying standard gutter widths. Added width of span accomplished bytension weakens the strength of such invention's affixture to theraingutter since the pressure of tension is weakened. Prior art does notallow for the shrinking or widening of body width offered by the presentinvention in such fashion as to allow installations on narrower gutterwidths than 5 inch or as to allow consistently secure installations onwider gutter widths than 5 inch.

Prior art that does allow for installation on varying standard gutterwidths such as is found in U.S. Pat.. No. 5,660,001 to Albracht and U.S.Pat. No. 5,640,8090 etc, is undesirable because of the required securingof such prior to or beneath roofing membranes, which has been found tocause failures of roofing membrane integrity.

Sub-heading 3

Water Receiving Wells

Referring again to FIG. 2 it is illustrated that the body 1 incorporatestwo recessed perforated planes 13 & 15, separated by a vertical leg 6.Both planes angle downward and inward into the body of an underlyingraingutter. This allows the present invention to offer improvement overprior art as follows:

Referring to FIG. 1: there is illustrated two recessed water-receivingperforated wells 15 and 13, which direct water, flow downward to avertical leg 6. The downward angle of perforated well 13, away from thefront lip 9 and front lip of a rain gutter offers improvement over priorart U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,027 to Vail, U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,904 to Gentry,U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,825 to Leroney, U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,686 to Rees,U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,843 to Tregear, and other prior art in that itforces water to cease any forward flow to the front of a rain gutterwhere it may spill past the raingutter as has been noted in prior art.Prior art has not effectively dealt with this noted problem. Reversecurved and hooded gutter protection methods such as U.S. Pat. No.5,491,998 to Hansen do redirect water flow rearward into the raingutterbut have not recognized the noted tendency of debris to follow the wateraround the curved surfaces they employ into the rain gutter as well.Additionally, such prior art is known to lose most of it's wateradhesive properties over time as pollen, oil leaching from asphaltshingles, and other pollutants, coat and remain on the curved surfacessuch prior art employs. Downward sloping plane 15, also, preventsforward flow and resulting spilling of water to the ground, by acting inconjunction with vertical leg 6. Vertical leg 6, serves the dual purposeof acting as a center and downward water channeling support for thefiltration membrane 50 and Skeleton 43 (See FIG. 9), and as serving as adam that slows forward rushing water in recessed well 5,15,6 to slow anddrain through the perforated plane 15.

Sub-heading 4

Filter Membrane and Skeleton

Once installation and, if necessary, adjustment of the body and/orcovering of the body 1 of the present invention is achieved, a filtermembrane and skeleton will then be inserted into the recessed channel ofthe present invention. (See FIG. 2, then FIG. 8 and FIG. 9).

Several improvements over prior art are offered by the filter membraneand skeleton employed by the present invention:

Sub-heading 4a

Filter Skeleton

Referring now to FIG. 3 there is illustrated a filter member: amulti-level supporting structure upon which a wire or cloth membranecomposed of intersecting threads shall rest. Prior art employingfiltration cloth or membrane, which rests over open apertures e.g.: U.S.Pat. No. 5,595,027 to Vail, U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,904 to Gentry, U.S. Pat.No. 5,619,825 to Leroney, U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,686 to Rees, U.S. Pat. No.6,134,843 to Tregear, etc. exhibits a property of preventing rainwaterfrom entering the open apertures beneath the filtration cloth. Inpractice, in the field, it is often observed that volumes of water willtravel around the underlying perforations, beneath the filter cloth ormembrane covering them, due to water adhesion principals. The water willthen feed toward the front of prior art, rather down beneath it and intoa rain gutter, and will flow past the top front lip of a rain gutter.

This common occurrence in prior art occurs for several reasons.

Perforated surfaces existing in a single plane, such as is employed inU.S. Pat. No 5,595,027 to Vail, or as exists in the Commercial ProductSHEERFLOW. RTM. Manufactured by L. B. Plastics of N.C., and similarprior art tend to channel water inventions sought to correct thisundesirable property by either tapering the rim of the open perforationand/or creating downward extensions of the perforation (creating a waterchanneling path down through open air space) as exhibited in prior artU.S. Pat. No. 6,151,837 to Ealer, or by creating dams on the plane theperforations exist on, as exhibited in prior art U.S. Pat. No. 4,727,689to Bosler. Such prior art has been unable to ensure all water wouldchannel into the underlying rain gutter because the water, that did,indeed, travel through the open apertures on the top side of these typesof perforated planes or screens, would also travel along the undersideof the screen wires or perforated planes, as it had on top of thesesurfaces, and still continue it's undesirable flow to the front of theinvention and front lip of the underlying rain gutter, due to wateradhesion. Additionally, this “underflow” of water on the underside ofthe perforated planes and screens illustrated in prior art exhibits atendency to “back flow” or attempt to flow upwards through theperforations inhibiting downward flow of water. This phenomenon has beennoted in practice, in the field when it has been observed that open airapertures appear filled with water while accomplishing no downward flowof water into the underlying rain gutter.

Other inventors sought to eliminate this undesirable property byemploying linear rods with complete open air space existing between eachrod, This method of channeling more of the water into the rain gutterexhibits more success on the top surface of such inventions, but itfails to eliminate the “under channeling” of rainwater toward the frontof the invention due to the propensity of water to follow the unbrokeninterconnected supporting rods or structure beneath the top layer ofrods.

Referring again to FIG. 3, the structure of the present inventionimproves the flow of water into the rain gutter over prior art,significantly, as has been observed in practice, in the field. Thisimprovement is accomplished by allowing cylindrical rods 47, withunbroken air space existing between them, to rest upon vertical legsupporting structures, which disallow any connecting path for forwardwater channeling due to water adhesion. Supporting structures 45, 46,51, & 54 are, indeed, each connected to the other by perforated planes48. However, this connection is broken by several factors, whichdisallow a forward flow of water. Water, instead, is forced downwardinto the rain gutter with no water adhesive path toward the front of theinvention existing. This is accomplished by resting the rods 47 on slimvertical supports 45,46,51,& 54. Doing so creates a “t” configurationunlike the simple rod structures of prior art. The present invention isan improvement in two instances: First, water that channels aroundsimple rods, rather than “t” structures exhibits less siphoning actiondue to the water colliding on the underside of the rod after travelingdown the opposing curved sides of the rod. This collision of water slowsdownward water flow by creating a back flow or upward flow of wateragainst the rainwater attempting to channel downward along the curvedsurfaces of the rod. The “T” configuration of the present inventionprevents such reverse flow or back flow of water against the incomingwater flow by creating a continuing path of water flow away from watertraveling down the opposite side of the “t”. This allows the filterskeleton 43 to create a stronger channeling or siphoning action on theincoming rainwater than prior art is able to exhibit.

The “t” configuration also offers improvement over prior art because itcreates an absolute break in the water adhesion flow on the bottoms ofvertical legs 45, 46, 51, & 54. Water which will travel down rods 47,then though the open air apertures 0 which exist in planes 48, will nextadhere to and travel down the lower (beneath planes 48) portions of thevertical legs of the “t”. Water traveling down the vertical legs, atthis point, is an improvement over prior art such as U.S. Pat. No.5,595,027 to Vail, U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,904 to Gentry, U.S. Pat. No.5,619,825 to Leroney, U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,686 to Rees, U.S. Pat. No.6,134,843 to Tregear, because it has discontinued it's forward flowingpath on the underside of the perforated plane, as is common in the priorart, and is now being channeled, again, downward toward the inside ofthe rain gutter. Prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,710 also temporarilyaccomplishes this downward flow utilizing it's rod-supporting structure,but not nearly as effectively due to the interconnection of theunderlying support structure, which provides a forward flowing waterpath by means of water adhesion along an unbroken surface. Theimprovement of the “t” configuration over prior art is againaccomplished by a third, completely disconnected path of water flow,achieved at the lower termination of the vertical legs 45, 46, 51, & 54.Water, at these points, may only flow downward into the rain gutter.This is due to the length of the downward extensions of the verticallegs, which, by design, disallow backflow of water on the underside ofthe perforated planes 48, or forward flow of water along a wateradhesion path to the front lip of the rain-gutter.

Filter Skeletal structure 43 of the present invention creates asiphoning action and ensures a downward, rather than forward flow ofwater not exhibited by prior art. Referring to FIG. 5 there isillustrated a cloth or wire filter membrane 50, which employsintersecting threads. This membrane exhibits an improvement over otherfiltering and screening methods illustrated, representatively, in priorart U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,027 to Vail, U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,904 to Gentry,U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,825 to Leroney, U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,686 to Rees,U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,843 to Tregear, etching that it exhibits no tendencyto trap and hold debris. The above mentioned prior art, even whenemploying micro-aperatured cloth, (due to adhesive actions of pollen,oil, pollutants, and silica dust which tend to heal over such productsand remain impervious to cleaning by wind or water) has been observed,in the field, to clog due to tendencies to trap and hold debris, therebychanneling water past, rather than into the under lying rain gutter.

Sub Heading 4b

Filter Membrane

Prior art, though naming filtering medium as cloth or screen or tangledmesh, has not recognized or utilized the improvements offered by afiltering membrane accomplished by the intersection of material of equalor larger and smaller wire, or cloth, or plastic thread configurationsas is illustrated in FIG. 5.

Filtering and screening methods illustrated in prior art attempted toimprove the propensity of reverse-curved or hooded gutter protectionsystems illustrated in prior art U.S. Pat. No. 5,557,891 to Albracht,and similar inventions, to trap and hold debris within their openchannels. When this has occurred, water has flowed past the clogged openchannels and to the ground due to waters tendency to bridge over debristrapped in a concave aperture.

When debris rests on planar surfaces, water will travel beneath, ratherthan bridge over them, and attempt to travel through any open-airopenings or apertures that exist beneath the debris. Filter andscreening methods of gutter protection, however, illustrated in priorart have employed woven or knitted or mesh fibers or wires whichintrinsically contain numerous joints, which tend to trap and holddebris. Filtering cloths, screens, and meshes are known to trap and holddebris to protect a medium on the other side of the filter. Screens,too, are known to trap and hold debris. When any of these methods ofgutter protection have been employed in prior art, such inventions havebeen known to trap and hold debris reducing the amount of water that isable to enter an underlying rain gutter regardless of the porosityand/or density of the filter medium.

The present invention exhibits no tendency to trap and hold debris, ordirt, or pollen and thereby offers a significant improvement over priorart. The present invention offers an improvement over prior art in thatit's filtering membrane 50, offers far fewer under and over knitted orwoven or meshed joints for debris to become lodged within. The presentinvention also offers improvement over prior art in the existence of astrong water channeling action taking place beneath filtering membrane50 throughout the structure of filter skeleton 43. The water adhesiveeffects, strong siphoning action, and ultimate breaking of the wateradhesion and resulting continued downward flow of water into anunderlying rain gutter accomplished by the filter configurationillustrated in FIG. 6 offers improvements not found in prior art.Referring again to FIGS. 5 & 6, the present invention also exhibits anability to clean or wash smaller particles out of the 100 micronopenings existing between the interconnected threads or wires itemploys. This ability has not been noted in prior art but, rather, priorart is known to clog with debris or cake over with pollen, leachedshingle oil, dirt, and other pollutants and has not exhibited an abilityto self-clean, found in the present invention. The present invention isan improvement over prior art that employs insertable, or under-affixed,or recessed filters such as is employed and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No.5,595,027 to Vail, U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,904 to Gentry, U.S. Pat. No.5,619,825 to Leroney, U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,686 to Rees, U.S. Pat. No.6,134,843 to Tregear and similar prior art because these previousfiltration attempts are known to either clog, heal over and becomewater-proof, and/or channel water forward.

Recessed filters beneath a perforated plane such as employed in U.S.Pat. No. 5,595,027 to Vail receive far less water than the presentinvention due to water adhesion principals that direct water around,rather than through simple perforations. Filtration cloths or membranesresting on top of or sandwiched between screens, perforated planes, ordenser filter mediums such as is illustrated in prior art U.S. Pat. No.4,841,686 to Rees, U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,027 to Vail, U.S. Pat. No.6,134,843 to Tregear and similar devices are also known to allow waterchanneling to the front lip of a rain gutter due to the unbrokeninter-connected supporting or securing structures beneath or surroundingthe filtering membrane and also due to the linear, rather than downward,channeling of water such filtering membranes themselves are known toexhibit in the field.

REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS

-   0 perforations-   1 extruded body-   2 “scorable” top shelf fourth planar surface-   3-4-16 top, side, and bottom planes of 2^(nd) u-channel-   5 vertical leg-   13-1613, 15 v-shaped perforated well-   6 vertical leg/“water dam”-   12-7-8 bottom-, side and top planes of 1^(st) u-channel-   9-10 front “lip” of body-   17-18-2623 top, side, and bottom planes of 3^(rd) u-channel-   20 reverse curved plane-   22 open channel-   19-20 rear supporting leg-   21 pre-scored indentations-   23pre-scored indentationshelf-   24 open channel-   25 open channel-   28rain gutterhidden gutter hanger-   29 rear u-shaped wall of gutter hangar-   27tensioning/securing flangeflexible, semi-concaved metal or plastic    extrusion-   30 fastening screw-   31 filter material-   32 filtration membrane configuration-   33 rain gutter-   35 “braked” or formed clip on cover-   43 filtration skeletal structure-   44 rear ledge of skeletal structure-   45 “water drops” of equal length-   46 termination of “water drops”-   47 ellipses-   48 width of perforated plane section-   50 filter membrane-   51 “water drop” of greater length-   52 front ledge of skeletal structure-   54 vertical leg-   57 forward ledge of skeletal structure-   59 pre-scored indentation

1. A gutter shield device for mounting in an open top of a rain gutterattached to an edge of a roof, said gutter shield comprising: (a) anelongated sheet of extruded material having four interconnected planeswherein the sheet comprises: a first plane for resting on a front lip ofthe rain gutter, the first plane connected to a second plane by au-shaped channel lying beneath the surface of the first plane the secondplane is perforated and angles downward and inward toward a center ofthe sheet in a manner to break a forward flow of water adhesivechanneling paths for redirecting water downward and inward into thegutter; said second perforated plane terminating and adjoining at alower most edge to a vertical leg that serves as a supporting structurefor an insertable filtration configuration; said vertical legadditionally serving to join a third perforated plane that angles upwardfrom said second perforated plane and upward and away from the center ofthe sheet in a manner for redirecting a forward flow of water downwardto said vertical leg that also serves as a dam for the flowing waterensuring that the water will pool and drop through the perforations ofsaid third perforated plane; said third perforated plane is joined, bymeans of an upward extending vertical wall that is capped by an integralu-shaped channel positioned at an uppermost edge of the vertical wall, afourth plane angles slightly upward from the vertical wall, and saidfiltration configuration comprising a filter membrane resting on askeletal structure that embodies ellipses resting on centered,underlying vertical legs, said legs resting on and extending above aperforated plane, said perforated plane having underlying vertical legsthat are adapted to further direct the downward channeling of water intothe rain gutter and also disallowing forward channeling of water due tothe spacing and vertical downward extension of said vertical legs,whereby a forward rush of water is broken and redirected by said planes,ellipses, and vertical legs, wherein said ellipses and vertical legs areadapted to be separated by unbroken air space, in a manner that enablesthe sheet to self-clean clogging elements selected from a groupconsisting of scum, oils, pollen paste, matted silica, and other scumforming elements off said filter membrane to an extent that disallowssaid clogging elements from healing over and clogging water receivingareas of said filtration combination.
 2. The gutter shield deviceaccording to claim 1 wherein said fourth plane is embedded with arecessed scoring channel on its upper surface that facilitates a cleanbreaking of the fourth plane on a jobsite at the time of installation,for the purpose of rejoining the fourth plane in an overlapped mannerthat effectively narrows the width of said sheet to allow forinstallation in compressed rain gutters or in rain gutters with standard4-inch or 3-inch openings.
 3. The gutter shield device according toclaim 1, wherein said fourth plane is adapted to receive a metal coverof the same material and color of the rain gutter.
 4. The gutter shielddevice according to claim 1, wherein said filter membrane is comprisedof a plurality of threads adjoining or passing through a plurality oflarger threads at a centermost point of the larger threads.
 5. Thegutter shield device according to claim 1 wherein said filter membraneresting on said oval ellipses is secured at the outer edges of saidskeletal structure by means of sewn thread.
 6. The gutter shield deviceaccording to claim 1 wherein said filtration configuration is receivedin an upper top channel formed by said second and third planes byinserting edges of said filtration configuration into the u-shapedchannels attached to the second and third planes.
 7. The gutter shielddevice according to claim 1, wherein said ellipses are optimally spacedend-to-end at approximately 0.19 inch intervals, wherein sufficientsupport is provided to prevent extensive sagging of said filtrationmembrane while simultaneously ensuring sufficient open space existsbetween said ellipses to accommodate large amounts of rain waterpassage.
 8. A filter assembly, comprising: a filter membrane defining afirst surface and a second surface; and a skeletal structure beneath thefilter membrane and bounded by longitudinally extending ends, theskeletal structure including: a perforated plane spaced from the firstsurface of the filter membrane; and a first leg disposed on theperforated plane intermediate the longitudinally extending ends andextending along a length of the skeletal structure above the perforatedplane, wherein the first leg extends toward and contacts the firstsurface of the filter membrane, whereby when the filter assembly isinstalled in the open top of a rain gutter, water flowing across thefilter membrane in a direction normal to the length of the skeletalstructure is redirected downward by the first leg through the perforatedplane and into the rain gutter.
 9. The filter assembly of claim 8,wherein the first leg comprises a plurality of first legs disposed onthe perforated plane wherein each of the first legs extends toward andcontacts the first surface of the filter membrane.
 10. The filterassembly according to claim 9, wherein each of the first legs includes afirst end contacting the first surface of the filter membrane.
 11. Thefilter assembly according to claim 8, further comprising: a second legdisposed on the perforated plane and extending in a direction away fromthe filter membrane, opposite the first leg, the second leg comprising afree end, wherein the second leg extends along the length of theskeletal structure below the perforated plane.
 12. The filter assemblyaccording to claim 11, wherein the second leg comprises a plurality ofsecond legs extending along the length of the skeletal structure belowthe perforated plane.
 13. The filter assembly according to claim 8,wherein the skeletal structure further comprises first and secondadditional planes arranged along opposite sides of the perforated planeand defining the longitudinally extending ends, wherein the first andsecond planes are arranged above the perforated plane.
 14. The filterassembly according to claim 13, wherein the first and second additionalplanes are connected to and arranged parallel to the perforated plane,and wherein longitudinally extending edges of the filter membrane areattached to the first and second additional planes.
 15. A gutter shieldfor mounting in an open top of a rain gutter, the gutter shieldcomprising: an elongated body, wherein the filter assembly according toclaim 8 is received in the elongated body.
 16. The gutter shieldaccording to claim 15, wherein the elongated body is extruded.
 17. Thegutter shield according to claim 15, wherein the elongated bodycomprises: a first portion adapted to contact a front lip of the raingutter; a second portion coupled to the first portion and including aplurality of perforations; and a third portion coupled to the secondportion, wherein the filter assembly is received between the first andthird portions and positioned over the second portion.
 18. The guttershield according to claim 17, wherein the third portion includes arecessed scoring channel on an upper planar surface for facilitating aclean breaking during installation of the gutter shield.
 19. The guttershield according to claim 17, further comprising: a cover configured tobe attached over the third portion, whereby when adjacent gutter shieldsare mounted side-by-side in the open top of the rain gutter, the coverspans a joint between the gutter shields.
 20. The gutter shieldaccording to claim 19, wherein the cover comprises aluminum, zinc, orcopper.
 21. The gutter shield according to claim 20, wherein the covercomprises zinc, whereby the zinc cover includes fungicidal propertiesand discourages moss, mold, or mildew growth.
 22. The gutter shieldaccording to claim 20, wherein the cover provides color and materialmatching of the gutter shield to the rain gutter.
 23. The gutter shieldaccording to claim 19, wherein the cover comprises a slide-on or clip-onmetal cover.
 24. The gutter shield according to claim 17, furthercomprising: a cover configured to be attached over the first portion,whereby when adjacent gutter shields are mounted side-by-side in theopen top of the rain gutter, the cover may span a joint between thegutter shields.
 25. The gutter shield according to claim 24, wherein thecover comprises aluminum, zinc, or copper.
 26. The gutter shieldaccording to claim 25, wherein the cover comprises zinc, whereby thezinc cover includes fungicidal properties and discourages moss, mold, ormildew growth.
 27. The gutter shield according to claim 25, wherein thecover provides color and material matching of the gutter shield to therain gutter.
 28. The gutter shield according to claim 24, wherein thecover comprises a slide-on or clip-on metal cover.
 29. The gutter shieldaccording to claim 17, wherein the third portion includes a recessedreceiving channel arranged adjacent to the second portion and configuredto receive one of the longitudinally extending ends of the skeletalstructure, and wherein the recessed receiving channel includes an upperextension extending over the longitudinally extending end of theskeletal structure and over a longitudinally extending edge of thefilter membrane.